Ensuring young people have a say in their local area is paramount. This is why The Crown Estate (TCE) asked us to develop a youth panel programme in London to ask young people directly about key issues and projects in Westminster. TCE wanted their opinions and ideas on key developments in the West End, Haymarket and more strategically on their vision for the future of London.

2-3 Degrees Solution

We attracted, recruited and retained a Youth Panel consisting of 13 young people, aged 16 to 20, from Westminster and surrounding areas. We delivered a transformative programme aimed at elevating youth voice in decisions that shape London. The programme offered young people the chance to build key skills, develop confidence, and contribute directly to live regeneration projects.

The Youth Panel Vision

“We are The Crown Estate Youth Panel. Through teamwork, creativity and determination we will make a difference; utilising our expertise and lived experience to foster inclusion, champion sustainable living and improve communities.”

Headline Impact

• 100% of participants believe their ideas will influence the future of London’s public spaces.
• 100% felt involved in real decision-making.
• 100% now feel confident speaking to professionals.
• 100% felt heard and respected by The Crown Estate team.
• 33% of young people entered into employment and 67% are continuing their education journey.

Programme Goals

• Engage a diverse group of young people traditionally underrepresented in the built environment.
• Co-create ideas and strategies for two key TCE districts: the West End and Haymarket.
• Deliver 14 personal and professional development workshops, equating to 38 hours of delivery.
• Create meaningful collaboration with Crown Estate staff and departments.

Youth Voice Matters

Throughout the programme, our Facilitators worked closely with key TCE stakeholders to ensure we provide great impact for the young people’s experience, as well as invaluable feedback for TCE staff to support the fruition of their work. This involved co-designing with the Panel on how they would like to shape the programme in terms of its vision, content and outputs.

Young people took part in strategic thinking exercises and site visits, and identified ways to make The Crown Estate’s plans more youth-friendly.
Participants explored the future of cities and public spaces, creating bold “vision boards” imagining London in 2050. The Panel also worked in teams on a design challenge to develop ideas for making nature more accessible and integrated in local public spaces.

Skills Development

By the end of the programme, the Youth Panel showed the following changes:

• Awareness of leadership roles increased from 62% to 92%.
• Confidence in managing group decisions rose from 69% to 92%.
• All participants (100%) improved their ability to consider different perspectives when solving problems.

Community and Engagement

At the start of the programme, only 46% of participants said they regularly volunteered in their community. By the end, this increased to 83%.
A similar increase was seen in their sense of belonging. Initially, 69% felt a strong connection to their local community — this rose to 92%.
Participants also felt more confident trying new things, with a 15% increase in those who felt comfortable learning in unfamiliar environments.

Further Opportunities

Throughout the programme, several Youth Panel members were invited to represent their peers at major events and platforms such as co-presenting a webinar by New London Architecture. Moreover, four Panel members spoke at The Crown Estate’s internal conference, Together ‘24, in front of over 700 employees. A further four Panel members presented their work at the TCE Intern Alumni Event. These opportunities allowed the panel to amplify their ideas, build networks, and showcase their work to wider audiences.

Youth Feedback

“This experience has been amazing. I’ve built new skills, learned about career paths, and made a difference.”
“Say yes to opportunities — that’s what this programme taught me.”
“We bridged the gap between youth and professionals. We had a voice.”
“It was empowering to explore vocational training and real-world career pathways.”

The Crown Estate Youth Panel Programme was a unique opportunity for young people to contribute to shaping the future of Westminster. By combining skills development, co-creation, and civic engagement, we built confidence, created community impact, and proved that youth voice is not only valuable – it’s essential.

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